Antivirus Software Reviews

Updated January 2015

The best antivirus software is effective at combating malware, Trojans and other hazards, without slowing your computer or other devices to a crawl. Our analysis identifies several good bets, including free antivirus programs that work surprisingly well and programs that protect both Macs and PCs.

Best antivirus software

Experts, users and independent testing labs all say that Kaspersky Anti-Virus (2015) is one of the most effective antivirus programs you can buy. Some complain a little about system impact, but most say that it's minimal. All agree that it stops malware dead in its tracks without driving you to distraction. You won't find a ton of extra features, but what's included all work well.
See our full review

Antivirus software with the best features

The 2015 edition of Bitdefender Antivirus Plus offers terrific antivirus protection -- plus it includes so much more, experts say. It comes loaded with anti-phishing, ID theft, USB, social media privacy, online payment and credit monitoring protections. And it does it all in the background (no annoying pop-ups), without bogging down your computer, experts say.
See our full review

Free antivirus software

If you want antivirus protection that approaches that of a paid product but that comes at absolutely no cost, Panda Free Antivirus (2015) is a top choice. Different tests rate its protection levels as perfect, or at least very, very good -- on a par with or better than even many commercial antivirus programs. It doesn't rate quite as well when it comes to system slowdowns or freedom from false positives, but Panda Free still holds its own against similar programs, and reviews are generally solid.

Free antivirus software with the best features

Though its test results are a little inconsistent compared to Panda's free antivirus software, Avast! Free Antivirus 2015 still scores solidly enough to earn respect from many experts -- and nearly unbridled love from users. Its ratings are well above the norm at sites like Amazon.com and Download.com, and that's based on thousands and thousands of reviews. One big plus compared to free and paid antivirus is a unique tool that identifies vulnerabilities across your entire home network, including your router and wireless devices.

Best antivirus software for Macs

Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac works well in tests, and many experts say this anti-virus software is all most Mac users need. It's absolutely free, and Sophos effectively blocks both Mac and Windows attacks (so you won't spread malware to Windows users). It's big plus is the ability to schedule regular scans to run silently in the background -- something missing on most Mac antivirus software.
See our full review

Free antivirus software for Macs

If you don't care about the ability to schedule scans, Avast! Free Antivirus for Mac becomes a top consideration. Depending on the testing organization, it performs just as well as Sophos, or even beats it out by a small margin. Avast!'s impact on system performance is just a hair lighter as well. Many consider the ability to schedule scans a must, but if you don't, Avast! might be an ideal choice. Like Sophos, Avast! is absolutely free.

See a side-by-side comparison of key features, product specs, and prices.

Finding the best antivirus software

This report covers antivirus software, which scans your hard drive, removable media, incoming and outgoing mail, email attachments and instant-messaging chats for malware such as viruses, worms and Trojan horses. Antivirus software is not just for PCs, either. Mac users, who were sheltered from malware and other threats for decades, are increasingly at risk for attacks.

Keeping a computer free of malware has become more difficult over the years as threats now emerge from multiple sources including computer files, USB drives, email attachments and websites. Antivirus software makers have responded by beefing up their "antivirus" software with extra features and defenses. In addition to fighting malware, the best antivirus programs now protect you from spyware, phishing, identity theft, threats delivered over USB and more. This still falls short of the all-in-one protection found in Internet security suites, which typically add in still more safeguards and features such as a software firewall, parental controls, file encryption and back up, plus more. If you think that a suite's more encompassing protection is something you are interested in, we name some top choices in a separate report on Internet security software.

One factor that argues in favor of an internet security suite over an antivirus program is that the cost difference between a full-featured antivirus program and the same company's Internet security software suite is often nominal. On the other hand, the extra features might be redundant, or not needed. For example, experts say that the hardware firewall in most modern routers is usually much more effective than a software firewall.

Still, the industry trend is to load up antivirus software to the point where some products offer enough extras that they are almost indistinguishable from what another vendor might market as a security suite. Symantec has taken things one step further. It has discontinued Norton Antivirus, and virtually every other security product it previously offered, including Norton 360, in favor of an all-encompassing solution, Norton Security (Est. $55 and up). The base version includes licenses for up to five devices, including PCs, Mac, and iOS and Android mobile devices. A step-up version, Norton Security with Backup (Est. $60) adds a file backup utility, free cloud storage, and ups the license to cover up to 10 devices.

As with most computer products, comparative professional reviews are usually the best guide to finding useful, quality products. The best reviewers do their own hands-on evaluations of effectiveness, any impact on computer performance, and general usability. Most also rely on testing from one or more of the many independent labs to either supplement their findings, or sometimes in place of their own testing when it comes to gauging malware prevention. These respected third-party test labs include AV-Test.org, AV-Comparatives.org, Dennis Technology Labs and Virus Bulletin. Some look at malware prevention, and only malware prevention, while others now also rate factors such as installation, ease-of-use, system impacts and more. For the most part, either top-line summaries or the full text of their findings are free to the public.

User reviews are a good guide to problems that user encounter in the real world. Professional reviewers usually test programs on virtual machines instead of real-world computers, so they sometimes don't encounter the issues that some users experience. That's why average user ratings often fall below professional ratings.

We look at all these sources to make our recommendations for the best paid and free antivirus software for PC or Mac users. Those recommendations are based on performance of course, including how well a program blocks attacks and how well it cleans up the mess in the case of a system that's already infected. Extra features are evaluated both on performance, and how helpful -- or in some cases harmful -- they potentially are. Modern antivirus software is a lot easier to set up and use than older programs, but it's not always smooth sailing.

Best Antivirus Software

Kaspersky, Bitdefender offer the best virus protection

Antivirus-only software programs -- once the standard of the industry -- are becoming less common as threats emerge from multiple sources including computer files, USB drives, email attachments and websites. Antivirus software makers have responded by beefing up their "antivirus" software with extra features and defenses. In addition to fighting malware, the best antivirus programs now protect you from spyware, phishing, identity theft, threats delivered over USB and more.

Although there are dozens of antivirus programs on the market, only a few consistently impress experts. Kaspersky Anti-Virus (2015)(Est. $35 per year for 3 PCs) is squarely among those. You won't find a ton of extras, but malware protection is first rate. It guards against viruses, spyware, and more. Its anti-screen-locker technology helps swat away ransomware -- rogue programs that won't let you access your computer without paying a fee. It also monitors your system and lets you roll back any unauthorized changes to settings. Other features warn you of possibly dangerous URLs and help ward off phishing attacks. An available rescue CD can disinfect your system if it is virus-ridden beyond repair.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus is an Editors' Choice at PCMag.com and its antivirus engine draws certification and top grades from the top independent antivirus software testing labs. Kaspersky is one of only two antivirus vendors to earn an Advanced+ award in all 2014 testing at AV-Comparatives.org, including trials designed to gauge the software's ability to detect new and established malware, removing malware from an infected system, and its impact on overall system performance. The company also earns a perfect 6 out of 6 from AV-Test.org in tests of protection, usability and impact on system performance. Dennis Technology Labs gives Kaspersky the highest AAA rating.

Tom's Guide is a modestly dissenting voice. The editors there find protection to be first rate, but grouse about the usability of the interface and a high performance hit, albeit on a low-end system. We saw some user comments complaining about similar issues, but owners seem to be a happy bunch overall. At Amazon.com, Kaspersky Anti-Virus (2015) earns a 4.4-star rating, exceptionally high for an antivirus/security product, following more than 120 reviews.

The 2015 edition of Bitdefender Antivirus Plus(Est. $60 per year for 3 PCs) is another top choice. It's a little pricy compared to Kaspersky, but what you get for your money is first-rate protection. BitDefender is also loaded with extra features (it even constantly monitors your credit report).

Simply put: Experts and testing labs love Bitdefender nearly as much as Kaspersky. It's an Editors' Choice selection at both PCMag.com and Tom's Guide. It joins Kaspersky as the second of two antivirus products to earn an Advanced+ award in all 2014 testing at AV-Comparatives.org. Other labs find performance that's close to that of Kaspersky, but that's just a hair behind in one aspect or another. It earns perfect scores from AV-Test.org when it comes to protection and performance. The lab does dock it a half point on usability for generating a handful of false positives, though its performance in that regard was in line with the industry average. Dennis Technology Labs rates it highly, but it places just behind Kaspersky in the second tier of AA-rated software.

If there's a concern, it's that user feedback for the current version is limited thus far, and very mixed. One of the chief sources of owner dismay is an apparent automatic renewal policy that re-ups the software at the end of the year by default. Others complain of customer support that's tough to get in touch with, though we've also seen reports that once in motion, support can usually resolve user issues.

It should be noted that for PC users, Windows Defender (or Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows 7 and earlier) comes with the tech giant's operating system. It provides basic antivirus security but testing reveals that protection levels are far below that of the best paid antivirus software. Even many free antivirus programs outperform Microsoft antivirus software by a substantial margin -- and we cover the best free antivirus software elsewhere in this report. Also, be aware that if you install a separate antivirus program, you may need to disable Microsoft's tool first to prevent performance issues.

Elsewhere in this Report:

Free Antivirus Software: There might not be such a thing as a free lunch, but some free antivirus programs perform nearly as well as the best paid products. These are some top choices.

Best Mac Antivirus Software: Yes, Macs need antivirus protection, too. These are top choices. Better still, all are free. We touch on security software for mobile devices as well.

Buying Guide: Not sure where to start to find the best antivirus software. Our editors fill in the blanks to help you make the right choice for your needs and your budget.

Our Sources: The recommendations in this report are based on expert reviews, independent testing, and user feedback. These are the sources we relied on, ranked in the order of their expertise and helpfulness.

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